title: The sugar 3-deoxy-d-manno-oct-2-ulosonic acid (Kdo) as a characteristic component of bacterial endotoxin -- a review of its biosynthesis, function, and placement in the lipopolysaccharide core.
abstract: The sugar 3-deoxy-d-manno-oct-2-ulosonic acid (Kdo) is a characteristic component of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS, endotoxin). It connects the carbohydrate part of LPS with C6 of glucosamine or 2,3-diaminoglucose of lipid A by acid-labile α-ketosidic linkage. The number of Kdo units present in LPS, the way they are connected, and the occurrence of other substituents (P, PEtn, PPEtn, Gal, or β-l-Ara4N) account for structural diversity of the inner core region of endotoxin. In a majority of cases, Kdo is crucial to the viability and growth of bacterial cells. In this paper, the biosynthesis of Kdo and the mechanism of its incorporation into the LPS structure, as well as the location of this unique component in the endotoxin core structures, have been described.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Silesia, Narcyzow 1 Street, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland.
authors.forename: Jolanta
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lodowska
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wolny
authors.forename: Ludmiła
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Węglarz
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D013400:Sugar Acids / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004731:Endotoxins; D013400:Sugar Acids; C042058:core endotoxin; C002532:2-keto-3-deoxyoctonate